Life-preserver.



J. W. MASTER. LIFE PRESERVER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22, 1912. RENEWED SEPT. 4, 191a.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

All

Ihventan UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MASTER, OF

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'IO JAMES MASON, OF SANDIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

LIFE-PRESERVER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

Application filed April 22, 1912, Serial No. 692,238. 'Ren vyed-September 4, 1913. Serial No. 788,159.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES \V. MASTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Improvement inLife-Preservers, of which the followingis a full and exact description.

This invention has relation to a device for the preservation of life andfor sustain ment upon the surface of and propulsion through water, thedevice being of especial utility in case of ship-wreck, and as apleasure and-amusement device, and consists of a new and improved typehaving the several features and advantages, and the combination andarrangement of parts herein specified. whereby the device will sustainits own and additional weight upon the water, and may be manuallyoperated for locomotion thereon. being a modified form of my inventionas disclosed in my application for Letters Patent filed February 20,.1912, bearing Serial Number 678,753.

It is a design of the invention to so relate the elements thereof, thatthe structure will be simple, compact, durable, and eflicient inoperation, the device comprising an elongated body member adapted tomaintain buoyancy and so formed as to reduce friction in the water, amechanism secured thereto for propulsion through the water, means forsteering the device, means for locking the device in an open or a closedposition. and pontoons attached thereto, and adapted to maintain thelateral stability of the device while in the water, a preferredembodiment of the device in which the principles of my invention areincorporated, being shown in the accompanying drawings, whereon- Figure1 is a side elevation of a device incorporatingthe principles of thisinvention, disclosing the position of the pontoons, the means foradjusting the device for length, the means for steering and the meansfor propulsion, Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device as shown in Fig.1, Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device, Fig. 4 is a sectionaldetail view of the driving nut which operates the propeller, and Fig. 5is a sectional detail view of the reciprocating cross-head, thecross-head guides, and driving nut.

In the several figures of the drawing with the body of the user, and thelower part is shaped to reduce friction when propelled through. thewater, said buoyant member being preferably made ofcork or similarbuoyant material, and is provided at its forward end with an extensionbar 2, which is adjustable in socket 3. To clamp bar 2 1n position, thetapered end 4 is threaded and split, and is provided with acorrespondingly threaded nut 5, which when adusted, will tighten orclamp bar 2 in its socket, thereby adapted for adjusting the device tothe user. Rudder 6 which is operated by handle 7 is operativelyconnected to bar 2, by a swivel joint.

Member 8 carries the propelling mechanism and is attached-to member 1,by hinge 9, which has knuckles 10, provided on their adjacent faces withradially arranged proections .11, which hold said members in theiradjusted position, the pintle being provided with a lever 12 whereby itmay be turned, and having a flange 13 with a rightangled inner facebearing against the knuckle on one side, and flange 14 on the oppositeend of the pintle, having a wedgeshaped face which bears against acorresponding face on the knuckle, whereby the device may be clamped orlocked in the open position.

To increase the stability of the device, pontoons 15, are provided, onebeing placed on either side of member 1, the said pontoons beingattached to member 1, by flexible straps 16, preferably made of leather.Strap members 16, are secured by and in rigid socket members 17, to thepontoons, the opposite ends of the strap members being attached to anddetachable from rigid socket members 18, on member 1. The pontoons maytherefore, be removed if desired. Member 8 is provided with an extension19, which is adjustable in socket 20, and is clamped in position by athreaded and tapered nut 21, which engages with the correspondinglythreaded and split end 22, of member 8, nut 21 being provided withsuitable knurls for manual operation. Shank 23 is suitably corrugatedfor retention in which engage with said channels, thereby reducingfriction when the cross-head is 'moved between said cross-head guides.

Pedals 28 are designed to form a suitable bearing for the feet of theuser, and are pivoted to bearing rods 29 which project on each side ofthe cross-head.' Thepedals are therefore adapted to oscillate inaccordance with the position of the users fedkpermitting more power tobe applied to operate the device. By the use of a large pedal theoperator is enabled to work the device for a long period of time. Theroller bearings provided for the cross-head increase the ease of theoperation thereof.

Within the cross-head a recess 30 is provided, having therein. operatingnut 31. Ratchet teeth .32, on nut 31, engage with teeth 33, on thecross-head, thereby preventing the nut from rotating during one strokeof the reciprocating movement of the crosshead, the opposite end of thenut and crosshead being without ratchets, whereby the nut rotatesfreely'during the opposite reciprocating movement of the cross-head. Aflat bar 34, having a spiral twist, is journaled in member 19, and inbearing 35, and passes through cross-head 25 and operating nut 31, thesaid nut having an aperture 36, corresponding to the cross-sectionalform of bar 34. The said bar 34 is rotated in one direction by thereciprocating movement of the cross-head, and, at the rear end, carriespropeller 37, protected by a ard 38. An fficient mechanism is there oreprovided, whereby the operator, by a kicking movement, may propel thedevice rapidly through the water.

The metal parts of my device are preferably made of aluminum, exceptspiral bar 34, and similar parts that are subject to friction, but anymaterial may be used in the construction thereof. The buoyant member,may be made, preferably of cork waterproofed. The pontoons arepreferably made ofa suitable elastic and flexible material and arehollow, an air-valve 39 being provided for each pontoon, whereby thesame may be inflated and act as a means for suspension. Bar 34, has aflanged head 40, engaging with a corresponding recess in member 19,which holds the bar against a longitudinal movement. I y

The pontoons materially assist in maintaining the stability of thedevice in heav seas, and also increase the buoyancy thereo The method ofattaching the pontoons preserves their longitudinal alinement with themain body of the device.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the device may be used as ameans of locomotion upon the water, the same may be folded forconvenience and portability out of the water, and may be quickly clampedin an extended position and used as a life preserver, means for manualoperation bemg provided whereby sufiicient power. may be developed toattain a speed of from twelve 'to fifteen miles per hour in swimming,enabling the operator to propel the device through andagainst heavy seasand swim to safety, and efiicient means are provided for maintaininglateral equilibrium and prevent the overturning of the operator 'whileusing the device.

While simple and efiicient means are herein provided for accomplishingthe objects of the invention and the elements shown and described arewell adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is tobe understood that no limitation is made to the precise structuraldetails exhibited, but that variations, alterations, and modifications,which may fall within the scope of the appended claims, may be made ifdesired, the essence of my invention comprising a neatly arranged devicefor controlling the direction of swimming, for insuring safety in thewater, and for obtaining ease of propulsion through the water.

It may be seen that the pontoons, which are detachable, may be reversed,thereb placing the air valves at the forward en When the air valves arein this position, the pontoons may be inflated at the will of theoperator while the device is in use. The operator is thereby enabled toinflate the pontoons by removing the valve ca 5 and blowing therein, noadditional app iances being required therefor.

I claim as myinvention:

1. In a life preserver, a buoyant member having a socket in the forwardend thereof, a propeller carrying member foldable thereon, a clampinghinge to connect and hold said members in the extended position, and anadjustable steering device adapted to be extended relative to thepropelling member, comprising an extension bar in said socket, atapered, threaded, and split end on said buoyant member in which thesocket is formed, a krlurled nut on said threaded end to clamp saidsplit end on said extension bar, a rudder connected to said bar by aswivel joint, and handles for the manual operation of said rudder,substantially as set forth.

2. In a life preserver, a buoyant member having a steering rudderattached thereto and means for operating the same, a propeller carryingmember foldable on said buoyant member, a clamping hinge connecting saidmembers in the extended position, and means for propulsion on saidpropeller carrying member, comprising guide rods extending therefrom andhaving longitudinal channels cut on their inner sides, a crossheadslidably mounted between said guiderods, rollers carried by'saidcross-head and engaging with said longitudinal channels in saidguide-rods, a fiat bar having a spiral twist journaled in said carryingmember, an operating nut in said cross-head, a bearing member at theendof said guide-rods, the said spiral bar passing through said nut andcross-head and being journaled in said carrying member, means forcausing said nut to drive said spiral bar during the reciprocatingmovement of the cross-head comprising a ratchet end on the nut and acorresponding ratchet on the cross-head, a propeller on the rear end ofsaid spiral bar, and a pair of oscillating pedals secured to saidcross-head whereby the same may be operated by a kicking movement toeffect the propulsion of the device through the water, substantially asset forth.

3. In a life preserver, a buoyant member acting for suspension, a memberfoldable thereon, a socketin said foldable member, a

tapered and threaded end in which the socket is formed, a knurled andcorrespondingly threaded nut on said threaded end, and means forpropulsion adapted to be clamped to said fo-ldable member, comprising ashank member adapted to be clamped in said socket by turning saidknurled nut, guide-rods extending at the rear of said shank member, across-head operated upon said guide-rods, said cross-head having areciprocating movement, a spiral bar rotatably mounted between saidguide-rods, an enlarged end on said spiral bar mounted in a recessedbearing in said shank member to prevent longitudinal movement,apropeller mounted on the rear end of said spiral bar, an operating nutin said cross-head engaging with said spiral bar, ratchets on one end ofthe nut and the corresponding end of the cross-head, which cause the nutto drive the spiral bar during one part of the reciprocating movement ofthe cross-head, a smooth face on the opposite end of the nut allowingthe nut to rotate with the spiral bar, and oscillating pedals carried bythe cross-head whereby the same may be operated by a kicking movement toactuate said propeller, said pedals having a suitable surface to engagewith the foot of the operator, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 9th day ofApril, 1912.

F. M. KEENEY, NILs S. ABRAHAMSON.

